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Godot vs Unreal Engine: What are the differences?
## Introduction
1. **Programming Language**: One key difference between Godot and Unreal Engine is the programming language. Godot uses its own scripting language called GDScript, which is similar to Python, while Unreal Engine uses C++ or Blueprints, a visual scripting language.
2. **License**: Another important distinction is the licensing model. Godot is released under the MIT license, which allows users to modify the engine as they see fit, without any restrictions. Unreal Engine, on the other hand, is free to use but charges a 5% royalty fee on gross revenue after the first $1 million USD.
3. **Platform Compatibility**: Godot is known for its flexibility in platform compatibility, supporting a wide range of platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, HTML5, and more. Unreal Engine, while also supporting multiple platforms, has a more extensive focus on high-end gaming consoles and VR devices.
4. **Community and Support**: Godot has a smaller but highly active and supportive community, fostering a more personal and community-driven environment for developers. Unreal Engine, backed by Epic Games, offers extensive documentation, tutorials, and a larger community, which can be beneficial for beginners.
5. **Performance and Graphics**: Unreal Engine is renowned for its stunning graphics capabilities and high performance, making it a popular choice for AAA game development. Godot, while not as advanced in terms of graphics, is more lightweight and efficient, making it suitable for smaller game projects or projects with limited resources.
6. **Learning Curve**: Unreal Engine has a steeper learning curve due to its complex interface and extensive feature set, making it more suitable for experienced developers. Godot, with its simpler interface and GDScript language, is considered more beginner-friendly and easier to learn for newcomers to game development.
## Summary
In summary, Godot and Unreal Engine differ in programming language, licensing, platform compatibility, community support, performance, graphics capabilities, and learning curve, catering to different needs and skill levels in game development.
When I started to learn game development, I've tried to use Unity multiple times because it's the most popular option. But never get it worked because of the clunky UI which is very hard to understand for a new user. After some time, I've decided to try UE4 despite there was a lot of rumors that it's "heavy" or requires an AAA team. And suddenly it clicked, everything works as I expecting, UI is clear and much more powerfull, no need to build custom tools to work on the game itself. Blueprints are very helpful for beginners, C++ has a lot of "syntax-sugar" - macroses, a lot of convenient in-engine types for everything. Later while working with Unreal, I've realized it has very consistent roadmap with constant improvements and adding new features. At the same time, each major version update is painless so you can upgrade your project during development to get new features. UE4 is free to use with the full list of features and you only have to pay royalty after getting your first $1 million from the project (and that's just the default case, you can always discuss custom license with an upfront fee, if you want to).
I chose Unity over Unreal Engine because Unity has a more user friendly UI for beginners looking to learn game development. Additionally, as someone who uses a lot of online resources to learn new languages and tools, I found a lot of tutorials covering game development with Unity as the core engine. This doesn't mean Unreal is not a great choice for game development, I just personally found learning game development much smoother with the amount of resources available with Unity.
Pros of Godot
- Open source14
- Supports both C++, C# and GDScript7
- Cross-Platform7
- Easy to port7
- Simple5
- Avaible on Steam For Free4
- GDScript is Based On Python3
Pros of Unreal Engine
- C++11
- Blueprints6
- PBR5
- Suitable for any projects4
- Source Available4
- Convenient and modern UI3
- Most Popular Game engine1
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Cons of Godot
- Harder to learn1
- Performance in 3D1
- Need opengl 2.1 / 3.31
- Somewhat poor 3D performance and lacks automatic LODs1
Cons of Unreal Engine
- Heavy6
- A lot of "heaviness" myths around1